Exodus 30
1 “[Tell the skilled workers to] make an altar from acacia wood, for burning incense.
“You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense.
2 It is to be square, (18 in./45 cm.) on each side. It is to be (3 feet/90 cm.) high. [Tell them to] make [a projection that looks like] a horn on each of the top corners. The projections must be carved from the same block of wood that the altar [is made from].
It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece.
3 [They must] cover the top and the four sides, including the projections, with pure gold. Put a gold border around the altar, [near the top].
Overlay with pure gold the top and all the sides and horns, and make a molding of gold around it.
4 [They must] make two gold rings for carrying the altar. [They must] attach them to the altar below the border, one on each side of the altar. These rings are for the poles for carrying the altar.
And make two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it.
5 [Tell them to] make these [two] poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold.
Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6 [They must] put this altar outside the curtain that hangs in front of the sacred chest and its lid. That is the place where I will talk with you.
Place the altar in front of the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony —before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you.
7 Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on this altar. He must burn some every morning when he takes care of the lamps,
And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps.
8 and he must burn some in the evening when he lights the lamps. The incense must be burned continually, throughout all future generations.
When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before the LORD for the generations to come.
9 The priests must not burn on the altar any incense that I have not told you to burn, or burn any animal on it, or any grain offering for me, or pour any wine on it as an offering.
On this altar you must not offer unauthorized incense or a burnt offering or grain offering; nor are you to pour a drink offering on it.
10 One time every year Aaron must perform the ritual for making this altar pure. He must do it by putting on its four projections some of the blood from the animal that was sacrificed (to remove the guilt of the people’s sins/so that the people would no longer be guilty for sins). This ritual is to be done by Aaron and his descendants throughout all future generations. This altar must be completely dedicated to me, Yahweh.”
Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar is most holy to the LORD.”
11 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
Then the LORD said to Moses,
12 “When your [leaders] (take a census of/count) the Israeli people, each man [who is counted] must pay to me a price to save his life. They must do this in order that no disaster will happen to them while the people are being counted.
“When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered.
13 Every man who is counted must pay to me (0.2 ounces/5.7 grams) of silver. They must use the official standard when they weigh the silver.
Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
14 All the men who are at least 20 years old must pay this amount to me when the people are counted.
Everyone twenty years of age or older who crosses over must give this offering to the LORD.
15 Rich men must not pay more than this amount, and poor men must not pay less than this amount, when they pay this money to save their lives.
In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less.
16 Your leaders must collect this money from the Israeli people and give it to [those who will] take care of the Sacred Tent. This money is the payment for the lives of those who take care of the Sacred Tent, (to enable me not to forget them/and then I will remember to protect them).”
Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.”
17 Yahweh [also] said to Moses/me,
And the LORD said to Moses,
18 “[Tell the skilled workers to] make a bronze washbasin and a bronze base for it. [They must] put it between the Sacred Tent and the altar, and fill it with water.
“You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it,
19 Aaron and his sons must ritually wash their hands and their feet with this water
with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet.
20 before they enter the Sacred Tent and before they come to the altar to sacrifice offerings that will be burned on it. If [they do that], they will not die [because of disobeying my instructions].
Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made by fire to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die.
21 They must wash their hands and their feet, in order that they will not die. They and the males descended from them must obey this ritual throughout all generations.”
Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”
22 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
Then the LORD said to Moses,
23 “[Tell the people to] collect some of the finest spices— (12 pounds/6 kg.) of (liquid myrrh/sweet-smelling sap named myrrh), (6 pounds/3 kg.) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, (6 pounds/3 kg.) of a sweet-smelling cane/reed,
“Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
24 and (12 pounds/6 kg.) of (cassia/a sweet-smelling bark named cassia). [Be sure] that they use the official standard when they weigh these things. Tell an expert perfumer to mix these with (one gallon/four liters) of olive oil
500 shekels of cassia —all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.
25 to make sacred oil for anointing.
Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.
26 Use this oil for anointing the Sacred Tent, the sacred chest,
Use this oil to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,
27 the table and all the things that are used with it, the lampstand and all the things that are used to take care of it, the altar for [burning] incense,
the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense,
28 and the altar for offering sacrifices that will be burned, along with its bases and the washbasin and all the things that are used with it.
the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
29 Dedicate them by anointing them, in order that they will be completely holy/sacred. Anyone or anything that touches the altar will become taboo.
You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.
30 And anoint Aaron and his sons. [By doing that], you will dedicate them to serve me [by being] priests.
Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.
31 And tell the Israeli people, ‘This oil will be my sacred anointing oil that must be used throughout all future generations.
And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘This will be My sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
32 You must not pour it on the bodies of people who are not priests, and you must not make other oil to be like it by mixing the same amount of those things. This oil is sacred, and you must consider it to be sacred.’
It must not be used to anoint an ordinary man, and you must not make anything like it with the same formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you.
33 I will consider that anyone who makes ointment like this [for any other purpose], and anyone who puts any of this ointment on someone who is not a priest, no longer be allowed to associate with my people.”
Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”
34 Yahweh also said to Moses/me, “[Tell the people to] take equal parts of several sweet spices—stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—
The LORD also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures,
35 and tell an expert perfumer to mix them together to make some perfume. Add some salt to keep it pure and make it holy.
and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
36 Beat some of it into a fine powder. Then take some of it into the Sacred Tent and sprinkle it in front of the sacred chest. You must all consider this incense to be very holy.
Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
37 The people must not mix the same spices to make incense for themselves. This incense must be completely dedicated to me, Yahweh.
You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to the LORD.
38 I will consider that anyone who makes incense like this to use it for perfume will no longer be allowed to associate with my people.”
Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”
